Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Winston Peters is threatening to refuse interviews with RNZ, unless it apologises over its reporting on his Party. The Court of Appeal has dismissed a Serious Fraud Office bid to overturn a court ruling two men were NOT guilty of obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars by deception for the New Zealand First Foundation. The money wasn't deemed a 'donation', because the funds weren't deposited into the Party's account. Party leader Peters claims the media ran 'attacks' on NZ First, and says RNZ won't get away with it. "You'll see what I do- because if they think that they are not going to be held accountable, they couldn't be more wrong." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions are calling for a 5 percent pay rise for workers on minimum and award wages. The union body says inflation has left workers on these lower wages worse off financially, even when accounting for three years' worth of increases. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says over three million workers stand to benefit from this potential pay bump. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Rugby chair Dame Patsy Reddy has threatened calling time on her tenure as the seven month governance standoff with the provincial unions continues. Dame Patsy took the stance at a post-board briefing last week, insisting she would not support alternative reform proposals to the ones put forward by the non-binding Pilkington Report. Those stated NZ Rugby’s constitution and governance was not fit for purpose and stressed the need for a nine-person independent board. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recaps the ongoing standoff. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing divergence between the US and Israel, as UN members vote for a ceasefire resolution in Gaza. The US abstained and didn't veto the Security Council resolution, voted for by all 14 other members. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled meetings scheduled in Washington this week. Times Correspondent Harriet Alexander says it's a sign of how difficult the two countries' relations have become. "Public opinion in the US is really turning against the war, and they want much more effort on a ceasefire and getting humanitarian aid in." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France has raised their terror alert warning to the highest level following the attack in Moscow. At least 137 people are dead and 150 are injured after gunmen opened fire at a rock concert. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains why France feels concerned following these recent events. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Labour staffer Kaine Thompson joined in on a discussion about the following issue of the day- and more! Sir Russell Coutts has claimed Christchurch will never be able to host a SailGP event again after this weekend's debacle. Given Auckland couldn't host it- what happens with SailGP in New Zealand now? Kate Middleton shocked the world last weekend by revealing she had been diagnosed with cancer. Were the rumours and speculation inappropriate in hindsight? Can we learn anything from this? Labour delivered their own State of the Nation address this weekend- is this the right time for Labour to plan a comeback? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is still committed to delivering on their tax cuts, despite last week's announcement that New Zealand is in recession. Finance Minister Nicola has spent the last few days holding true to that Government promise. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan is among the many experts calling for the cuts to be delayed, amid concerns. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ratification of the free trade agreement with the EU is now complete after it gained Royal Assent. Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says it was ratified in a small ceremony at the Beehive today - and is now confirmed to come into effect from May. Zespri Head of Global Public Affairs Michael Fox says the timing is super helpful for the kiwifruit industry, after a couple of 'bumpy' years. "We've got about 90 percent of our fruit left to ship- so a really welcome boom for growers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has unveiled their first pre-Budget financial announcement, in the form of their Family Boost scheme. It will let parents and caregivers claim back up to 25 percent of their childcare costs - up to $75 per week - from July. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this scheme comes with more short-term complications for parents. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the Family Boost scheme isn't exactly as promised pre-election. From July, parents and caregivers can claim back up to 25 percent of childcare costs, to a maximum $75 dollars per week. Nicola Willis says they'd hoped to reimburse parents every fortnight- but the IRD warned that their systems weren't sophisticated enough to deliver on that. "We're not prepared to delay, we want this released in people's bank accounts this year. So instead, we're going for an approach where parents send their invoices in every three months and they get a lump sum payment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Animal-focused charity SAFE wants an immediate ban on all greyhound racing after three dogs died in one week this month. Greyhound Racing New Zealand has suspended racing at Manukau Stadium for five weeks. It says concerning increases in injuries require immediate intervention and more investigation. SAFE investigations head, Will Appelbe, says racing's moved to Cambridge, but there've been just as many injuries. "It's just moving the problem to another location. Dogs will continue to be injured, continue to have serious injuries like fractures- and occasionally, sadly, that results in the death of greyhounds." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some relief for parents facing rising childcare costs. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has unveiled the Family Boost policy- which will let parents and caregivers claim back up to 25 percent of childcare costs, up to $75 a week. Parents are being told to start collecting invoices from July, to begin being refunded every three months from October. Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube says the option where parents would get money back more regularly was going to take about three years to build. "So they've gone with something that's kind of quick and dirty- but we have a problem today, don't we? So we can't be waiting around for three years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch NZ is keeping the door open to SailGP, hoping racing can happen again in Lyttelton next year. Last weekend's event has been marred by debate on measures to protect dolphins, with SailGP CEO Russell Coutts casting doubt on future hosting plans. A dolphin sighting meant Saturday's race was cancelled. Christchurch NZ's Loren Aberhart says a contract's been signed, but they are still open to discussions. "But I think from our perspective, when you look at the way it went yesterday- it was incredible. And Pete Burling texted me saying it was the best SailGP he's ever done." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is short 90,000 tradies to meet new housing targets. The Government plans to build 1.2 million new homes over the next five years. Australia correspondent Oliver Peterson says they'll get tradies to finish their qualifications, or will poach some from overseas. But he says it has to compete with the mining industry. "That's just always going to be the lure for a lot of people who might be tradies looking at apprentice wages, where they're barely able to make ends meet- or work on a mine and get these ridiculous salaries from day dot." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of SailGP in New Zealand may have sunk as a result of yesterday's cancellation of racing at Lyttelton Harbour. A dolphin sighting prevented three fleet races from taking place on day one, before four races yesterday with New Zealand winning the overall event. Fresh off his infamous interview with SailGP boss Sir Russell Coutts, Sportstalk host Jason Pine shared his thoughts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Commitment to a major overhaul of Hawkes Bay's emergency response, which has been labelled 'not fit for purpose.' The Civil Defence Emergency Management Joint Committee has fully accepted the independent review of its disaster response to Cyclone Gabrielle. It highlights major issues ranging from communication failures to overwhelmed officials, and points to residents being told they were overreacting. Joint Committee chair, Hinewai Ormsby, says they will be acting on all 75 recommendations. "It's really important that we take those learnings and make sure we build a stronger system going forward." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of prominent Aucklanders have voiced disapproval with the planned long-term lease of the council-owned Port of Auckland. Over 30 high-profile figures have signed an open letter against the plan, including Lady Pippa Blake, Sir Stephen Tindall, Sir Ralph Norris, and Chloe Swarbrick. Stop Stealing Our Harbour spokesperson Michael Goldwater says the Council needs to consider its long-term vision for the waterfront. "What needs to happen is that the Government and Auckland Council should develop a plan to move the Port. There's actually no conversation about that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'd have to say, the cancer diagnosis of the Princess of Wales, Kate, was probably the biggest news over the weekend, wasn't it? Absolutely shocking. There are a couple of things I reckon most of us will already agree on. The first is obviously just what an awful diagnosis cancer is for someone as young as Kate. And particularly for a mum of wee kids, this must be very scary for absolutely everybody in that family. And also, I reckon most of us will agree that some of the behaviour around her absence from public life has been pretty appalling- most especially paparazzi taking her photo and publishing it. But I'm not sure if it’s necessarily occurred to you yet how badly she’s been let down by her own team. This whole period of nasty rumours being spread and hounding of Kate could have been avoided, I'm 100 percent sure, if her people had handled her diagnosis the same way that King Charles’ people handled his. Remember, King Charles and Kate were discharged on the exact same day from the same hospital. A week later, he announced he had cancer. He was actually praised for helping people out, he drove people who had cancer to find out more information about it. She disappeared from view, and as a result she was hounded. I fully understand there are different considerations for Kate. The shock is probably much bigger, given how much younger she is, and there's the fact that she wanted to protect her kids as well. But I think what her staff haven’t actually understood is that it's 2024. There is social media out there. You can ask the media to be responsible and back off, and the vast majority of legacy media will do that. But you can’t control social media. No-one can control social media. If you leave a vacuum, and the media leaves a vacuum, it will get filled by people on social media nowadays. They're not necessarily being horrible, sometimes they're just curious, sometimes they're just concerned, in a few cases they're nutty- and in some cases, they're trolls. And if you leave that vacuum long enough, it gets so wild even people like Stephen Colbert can’t ignore it anymore. I'm not making excuses for the trolling, but it does exist, we all have to acknowledge it exists and the job of those palace staff who help Kate and William and all the royals with the media is not to pretend it doesn't exist- but to acknowledge it and respond accordingly. If they had handled it properly, Kate would not have been hounded. Just ask King Charles, who also has cancer - and wasn’t hounded. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some commercial catch limits have been increased, and these changes will come into effect in April of this year. Fisheries Minister Shane Jones discusses new limits with Heather. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ria Bond is a Member of Council in Invercargill. Bond spoke to Heather regarding another city councillor, Nobby Clark, and his recent offensive comments. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke Grebert-Craig hosts The Mushroom Cook podcast, looking into the infamous Mushroom Murders. She joined Heather to discuss the latest updates in the case. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour MP Camilla Belich had her bill pulled out of the biscuit tin at Parliament today. If passed, it would allow employees to discuss their wages with colleagues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the government announced hundreds of layoffs within the public sector. Public service association solicitor Fleur Fitzsimons spoke to Heather on what impact this may have. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A MediaWorks data breach saw the personal details of 400,000 kiwis end up on the dark web. Cyber security expert Nadia Yousef spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about how you can protect yourself from leaks like this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has stepped down from the position and as the leader of the governing Fine Gael party. He’ll be replaced as prime minister in April after a party leadership contest- meaning he could be replaced by a new Fine Gael leader. Varadkar explained earlier today that he'd chosen to stand down for personal and political reasons. UK correspondent Enda Brady says people who worked with Varadkar had noticed he'd seemed 'exhausted' before the resignation announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Newstalk ZB host Tim Beveridge and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! New research from HelloFresh shows half of Kiwis are throwing away food after the best before date, despite the use by date being a better indicator. They think New Zealand needs a better system to reduce food waste- what do we think? Stats NZ has confirmed New Zealand is officially in a technical recession, following a 0.3 point drop in the September quarter. What happens next? How quickly can the country bounce back? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US economy is stunning experts as it goes from strength to strength. The US Federal Reserve is predicting GDP will grow by 2.1 percent in 2024- an upgrade from December's forecasted 1.4 percent. Fisher Funds senior portfolio manager Sam Dickie explains why America continues to flourish economically. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey for 2024 shows farmer confidence has risen from a record slump- but remains low overall. This latest survey found farmer confidence in the agri-economy was up to a net reading of -16 per cent from -47 per cent. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains why the mood in New Zealand's rural community has lifted, citing a change in leadership and overseas markets. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One economic expert believes there are 'bright pockets' to be found in today's newly-released GDP figures. Data from Stats NZ shows the economy contracted 0.1 percentage points in the final quarter of 2023- putting New Zealand in a technical recession. NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann says this means the economy is turning faster than expected, which will hopefully mean rates could come down. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's GDP data has confirmed New Zealand has entered a technical recession. A new report from Stat NZ shows the economy contracted 0.1 percentage points in the final quarter of last year, following a 0.3 point drop in the September quarter. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says there's no doubt the books are in a poor state, and the current Government inherited it from their Labour predecessors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of Fonterra is playing down concerns about the Chinese market. Fonterra's half year profit is up 23 percent, and its interim dividend is up 50 percent, as it sells more processed product at a higher profit margin. But it's keeping the forecast milk payout midpoint unchanged at $7.80, following a recent drop in global raw product prices. Fonterra Chief Executive Miles Hurrell says China is still a growth opportunity, but it's only part of their diversified global strategy. "It's less than 30 percent of our book. Their geopolitics at large are something we all need to be concerned about- but there's still growth in that middle class, we're riding that wave." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meal kit delivery service HelloFresh are calling for a new food labelling system, in order to minimise waste. New research has found over half of Kiwis throw away food after it passes the best-before date- despite these dates not reflecting the use by terms. HelloFresh Australasia CEO Tom Rutledge says a time-temperature indicator (TTI) will give people a better idea of when food is safe to eat. "Which means that you're not beholden to a fixed best-before date or use by date, and therefore causing a lot of food to get thrown out before it's actually impaired." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mental health experts and addition specialists will begin working in emergency departments as part of a trial, as confirmed by the Government. They'll start out in four large hospitals in July and the scheme will be rolled out across the country, if proven successful. The Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, says it's clear that the Peer Support workforce needs to be scaled up. "What we want to do is roll out this new service. It is untested, we want to build the evidence in it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banking customers are losing out, according to a draft report that finds a lack of competition. The Commerce Commission's found ANZ, ASB, BNZ and Westpac also have sustained high profits compared with global peers. The report says Kiwibank also lacks the capital to disrupt the big four in a meaningful way. Commerce Commission chair John Small says these banks aren't interested in competing with each other. "They're not really going after each other, they're matching each other's prices, they've got really high visibility into what each other's doing- they're typically aiming to maintain market share, rather than take market share off each other." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tough economic choices are on the horizon for the Government. GDP slipped 0.1 percent in 2023's last quarter, the second of negative growth in a row. Associate Finance Minister David Seymour says the previous Government left plenty of fiscal cliffs. He says it's unfortunate there isn't more money to go around. "I don't think there's a single person around the Cabinet Table who doesn't want to pay New Zealand police officers a lot more money. I know I do, they're some of the greatest New Zealanders." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in February, down from 4.1 percent. This decrease comes off the back of an ongoing economic slowdown, as Australia aims to tamp down inflation. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says it's likely employers are feeling more confident, amid the promises of rate cuts later this year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Whitelock's final act in an All Blacks jersey may not be last year's World Cup final. The New Zealand Herald reports the 153-test lock has been approached by coach Scott Robertson to return from France This is despite his former franchise, the Crusaders, says as far as they know he's on a two year deal at Pau. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One anti-youth vaping group thinks the Government's plan to crack down on youth vaping will miss the mark. The Government has promised a complete ban on disposable vapes and tougher fines for retailers caught selling to under-18s. Vape Free Kids co-founder Charyl Robinson says the only way to really tackle this problem is to reduce the number of available retailers. "There's been no indication that promises are set to be kept. There was murmurs, I suppose, of some further restrictions on retailers- but I don't hear anything promising." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don't think many of us are surprised to hear that we’re back in a technical recession for the second time in a year, it's pretty rough out there. Personally, I know people involved in retail. They're behind on rent, they can’t pay it because they aren’t making enough money any more. I know an architecture business that hasn't had any business for months now, I've heard of contractors like draftsmen, builders, and so on cold calling other businesses looking for work. I’ve heard of a person selling their house because they can’t afford the mortgage payments unless they take on a third job. And the bummer is, they might sell their house for less than they paid for it. So if you're hearing that kind of thing, or if you are experiencing it yourself - it is not news to you that we’re in a recession. And actually, the number out today actually doesn’t do it justice, cause it says the economy's shrunk by 0.1 percent- which is really not a lot. The truth is, that number isn’t telling the full story. Because that number has been pumped up by record levels of immigration. The real number is the GDP per capita, this is the economic number when you count every single person in the country. And that's come back by 0.7 percent in the last three months. And here's a real brutal number- since September 2022, which means just slightly over a year's worth of data on a per capita basis, the economy has shrunk 4 percent. That is massive, and that is what you’re feeling. That is the price of our Covid response, it's the price of the lockdowns and the spending and printing of the money and the resulting interest rate hikes to settle it back down again. I was thinking yesterday about Grant Robertson's legacy and how most commentators are quite rightly saying it’ll be years before we really can say what his legacy is. But I think the clue is in the numbers today. What happens to us all over time is that we forget detail. We forget what is said, we forget what is done, but the thing that we are left with is how it made us feel. So, how is this recession making you feel? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has reportedly been targeted by a security breach of medical records. The London Clinic has launched an investigation into hospital staff allegedly attempting to view Kate's medical data from her stay in January. UK correspondent Kay Oliver recaps the ongoing saga. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! New research has linked intermittent fasting to an increased risk of cardiovascular death. Should we be concerned? Have we tried this diet? Is anyone actually convinced by the Government's proposed crackdown on youth vaping? The Government impose more hefty fines for selling vapes to under-18 year olds and ban single-use vapes by the end of the year. Will these measures have an impact? The Department of Conservation recently announced they plan to hike up the prices for New Zealand's Great Walks- is this fair? Grant Robertson delivered his valedictory speech in the House this evening. How will he be remembered as a Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another social media giant is gearing up to hit the stock market. Forum-based social network Reddit plans to make an initial public offering, making it the first social media company to go public in years. Stake executive director Matt Leibowitz says it'll be interesting to see what a company with Reddit's reputation can attract. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many local retailers, including Kathmandu and The Warehouse, have reported less-than-stellar earnings this week. KMD Brands has posted a $10 million loss, and The Warehouse Group today announced a $23.7 million net loss. Milford Asset Management's Sam Trethewey says it's clear economic conditions and interest rates are having an impact on consumer spending. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody's looking forward to extra tax cuts- but some people will have to take a hit to pay for them. The Government has confirmed new changes to the income tax system are coming from April 1, and commercial and industrial building owners are uniquely affected for the worse. NZ Herald Wellington business editor explains why they won't be able to deduct depreciation as an expense under these rules. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister has delivered his final speech in the House. Grant Robertson resigned from politics last month, after a long career impacted by a a shifting economy, disasters and a global pandemic. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Robertson will be remembered for his humour over his years in Parliament. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warehouse Group has revealed it plans to sell or close its online shopping website TheMarket.com by the end of the financial year. It comes just weeks after the company sold off its outdoor chain Torpedo7 for just a dollar. Today's announcement also comes as The Warehouse Group announces a $23.7 million net loss in the six months to January 28, amid grim retail conditions. Chief Product Officer Tania Benyon says this is a sign the market is changing as we enter tough times. "There's no doubt it's a tough retail environment. I think we're seeing that with other results in the market." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent study shows intermittent fasting is linked to a high risk of cardiovascular death. The American study analysed 20,000 adults and found 91 percent were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. Auckland University head of nutrition and dietetics, Clare Wall, says it's hard to tell how accurate the study is. "But what we don't know is actually how long these people have been on these diets for. The first thing I think about is- what was the quality of these people's diets? We don't really have enough information." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World Rugby is set to introduce some new rules and changes in the hope of increasing the speed and overall entertainment of the game. Some of these measures - 20 minute timeouts for red cards and reduced TMO decisions - have been implemented in Super Rugby. NZ Rugby's high performance referee manager Chris Pollock says there's been an increased appetite for rugby following last year's World Cup. "We've got a law book that's very complex, we also have a law book that's been around for a long time- and our game has evolved." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A supermarket action group is questioning the Commerce Commission's decision making. The Commission's decided not to investigate Sanitarium's move to pause the Warehouse's Weet-Bix supply, finding no evidence of anti-competitiveness. Sanitarium paused supply after the Warehouse began selling the cereal more cheaply than major supermarkets. Grocery Action Group's Ernie Newman says the Warehouse has had one issue after another, since it began selling groceries. "People really did say- hey, we know when something is not fair play. But it seems that the Commerce Commission doesn't know when something is not fair play, and has simply fumbled this one." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it's trying to strike the right balance between helping smokers quit and stopping youth vaping. Single-use vapes will be banned by the end of the year, and fines for selling vapes to under-18s will rise massively. The Associate Health Minister has been asked whether the Coalition will enforce minimum prices to put people off buying vapes. Casey Costello says she's not a fan of that- and she says vapes are still a great smoking cessation tool. "The alternate risk is that we get the prices back up- and they're equitable to smoking, so we end up with people taking up smoking." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.